Florida Gators offensive coordinator Brent Pease met with the media on Tuesday ahead of the 10th game of the season against the South Carolina Gamecocks on Saturday, Nov. 16. The game is set to kick off at 7 p.m. and air live on ESPN2.

QUARTERBACK A GAME-TIME DECISION

Redshirt junior starting quarterback Tyler Murphy announced Monday that trainers considered him day-to-day as he rehabilitated from a sore shoulder that has been ailing him over the last few weeks. Though rumors ran rampant that Murphy was actually out for the season, OnlyGators.com confirmed with a source close to the player that he is indeed day-to-day and trying to get back for the South Carolina game.

Pease said the exact same thing on Tuesday, noting that it would be up to the trainers to determine whether or not Murphy goes on Saturday.

“I think it’s probably a game-time decision. … He’s got to get in some practice time at some point in time and at least go out. … It’s about his comfort, ability of how to throw and spin it,” Pease said.

Murphy being a game-time decision means redshirt freshman Skyler Mornhinweg has taken all of the repetitions in practice and may very well be starting against the Gamecocks and their, at times, extremely talented defense.

Mornhinweg has never stepped on the field for the Gators, but Pease noted that he has received a fair share of first-team reps in recent weeks.

“We were in it a couple of weeks ago when Skyler was taking all the reps going into the Missouri game. It’s not something that is a new situation or us, but you got to plan and make sure the things we do with Skyler – Murphy will be able to perform – fit things around both of them in a game plan that is really going to benefit our team,” he said.

“He’s ready to go. The thing that’s tough on a kid in his situation is just experience. You hope you never really have to play with a redshirt freshman, and nothing against him, because he’s a smart kid, he works hard. In a developmental situation, you hope you get into your sophomore or junior year before you get into that situation whether you’re competing for the job or in a back-up role ready to play.”

Should Murphy be ruled out and Mornhinweg start, redshirt junior walk-on Christian Provancha would serve as the back-up quarterback as UF is trying to preserve freshman Max Staver’s redshirt.

”HUMAN NATURE” TO CONSIDER JOB SECURITY

One of two Florida coaches whose head has been called for time and time again over the course of the season, Pease admitted Tuesday that it is “human nature” to think about his job security but noted he still had an obligation to the team, head coach and administration to perform his position to the best of his ability.

“You got to be mentally tough. You got to shut [the vitriol from fans] out sometimes,” he said. “I understand what people are saying, frustrated with. Do they understand all the circumstances? Not all the time. But you got to work through it. In my situation, I don’t think you can lose confidence in who you are and what you believe in and how you got to doing your job.

“Last year, it was a situation where we knew how to manufacture and get wins and be – I wouldn’t say highly-explosive, which is what you want to be – but it was productive. We were a lot healthier in spots too. It’s tough but we got to work through it.”

NOTES AND QUOTES

» On Murphy checking out of a run up the gut on 1st-and-Goal at the one against Vanderbilt: “In that situation, OK, you’re uncertain, we’re on the one, OK, call timeout. Call timeout. We have timeouts. Have some composure. Call timeout. He’s got to learn from it.”

» On how Florida can best stop South Carolina defensive end Jadaveon Clowney: “I don’t know if you stop Clowney. I think you have to have a plan that makes him work hard. The guy, he’s the best player in college football and he’s going to make plays. But for us, we can’t leave ourselves in one-on-one match-ups, so you got to double team him. You got to do things to make him chase the ball. You got to try to wear him out.”

» Pease said freshman wide receivers Ahmad Fulwood and Chris Thompson have “really come on” over the last two weeks. Thompson had his redshirt burned in garbage time against Vanderbilt and registered his first career reception.

» On penalty problems: “I think it’s just got to be something that’s in your head and a discipline issue. You got to work at it and you just got to be a smart football player.”

8 Comments

Makes me wonder why Skyler never got into some of the games we were losing. Missouri, for example. If we really have a Man Down, Man Up philosophy, shouldn’t we be getting these back ups some playing time? Especially since our team is cursed with the injury bug?

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